When the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced last January that drug overdoses in 2018 declined by 4.1 percentfrom70,237in 2017 to 67,367in 2018many in the press took that as asign of possible progress in Americas longest war, the war on drugs. However, adeeper look at the data painted avery different picture.

The CDC report stated:

The ageadjusted rate of drug overdose deaths involving synthetic opioids other than methadone, which include drugs such as fentanyl, fentanyl analogs, and tramadol, increased from 0.3 per 100,000 standard population in 1999 to 1.0in 2013, 1.8in 2014, 3.1in 2015, 6.2in 2016, 9.0in 2017, and 9.9in 2018. The rate of drug overdose deaths involving heroin increased from 0.7in 1999 to 1.0in 2010, then increased to 4.9in 2016 and 2017. The rate in 2018 (4.7) was lower than in 2017. The rate of drug overdose deaths involving natural and semisynthetic opioids, which include drugs such as oxycodone and hydrocodone, increased from 1.0in 1999 to 3.1in 2009, then increased to 4.4in 2016 and 2017. The rate in 2018 (3.8) was lower than in 2017 The ageadjusted rate of drug overdose deaths involving cocaine increased from 1.4 per 100,000 standard population in 1999 to 2.5in 2006, then decreased to 1.3in 2010 and 1.5in 2011. From 2012 through 2018, the rate increased on average by 27% per year to arate of 4.5in 2018. The ageadjusted rate of drug overdose deaths involving psychostimulants with abuse potential, which include drugs such as methamphetamine, amphetamine, and methylphenidate, increased from 0.2in 1999 to 0.8in 2012. From 2012 through 2018, the rate increased on average by 30% per year to arate of 3.9in 2018.

While deaths attributed to prescription opioids continued to decline, deaths attributed to heroin overdoses levelled off and those attributed to fentanyl and its analogs continued to increase. Also making abig comeback were deaths related to psychostimulants, such as cocaine and methamphetamine. These data should have been enough evidence to prevent policymakers from cracking open the champagne bottles.

The CDC recently issued its preliminary report on 2019 overdose deaths and the news isnt good. There were roughly 71,000 overdose deaths, anew record. These data predate the COVID-19 crisis, so we can expect matters to get even worse.

Speaking to reporters about the preliminary report, Robert Anderson, who oversees the mortality data for the CDC said, We got it to stall out abit. Now we need to grab on again and not let this get away from us.

This should come as no surprise. A2018 study by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh found overdose deaths have been growing exponentially since at least the late 1970s and show no sign of deviating from the trend line. The particular drug predominating as the cause of death has changed from time to time, but the death rate marches on relentlessly. Therefore, even if the aggregate overdose data stalled abit in 2018, the underlying forces fueled by dangerous black market drugs that result fromdrug prohibition continue unabated.

One bright spot in the preliminary data: overdoses declined in Vermont, Massachusetts, New York, New Hampshire, and Rhode Islandstates where harm reduction strategies have gained some traction.

Until drug prohibition ends expect overdoses to continue following the tragic trendline.

More here:

As the War on Drugs Relentlessly Grinds On, Overdose Deaths Relentlessly Mount - Cato Institute

While efforts are being made to change the current system of public safety in our country, there is more that needs to be addressed. One area that needs attention is the negative effect drug arrests have on the Black community.

Substance abuse has plagued our society for decades. Though many are negatively affected by addiction, certain groups have been adversely affected by the policies put in place to stop it.

The war on drugs was implemented in the 1970s by President Richard Nixon to stop the drug trade and curb substance abuse. The initiative was expanded by President Ronald Reagan in the 1980s when severe penalties for drug-related crimes were created.

According to the Federal Bureau of Prisons, these policies led to a very significant rise in incarcerations. There were 50,000 arrests for non-violent drug crimes in 1980; in 1997, there were 400,000 arrests. Unfortunately, this did not seem to do anything to curb the distribution and use of narcotics. Instead, the war on drugs perpetuated the problem it was trying to solve.

You see, the majority of the arrests were members of the Black community. According to the Drug Policy Alliance, nearly 80% of people in federal prison and around 60% of people in state prison for drug offenses are People of Color. Furthermore, punishment for drug violations tends to play out in other areas that further impact an individuals quality of life. Child custody, voting rights, business loans, employment, student aid, public housing, and other public assistance are regularly denied to people with criminal drug convictions.

Due to these factors, many incarcerated individuals are faced with challenges after they serve their sentences. This can motivate some to utilize the illegal drug trade to support themselves and their families. It also contributes to financial stress and other factors that can lead to substance-abuse issues. While we cannot blame systems entirely for the actions of people, it is hard to deny these factors are extremely influential.

It can be argued that reducing drug trafficking and abuse was not what the war on drugs accomplished. The initiative did more to further marginalize demographics already left at a disadvantage due to the socioeconomic climate that exists in our country. The consequences of this play out in the present and are clear evidence of the systemic racism that is so prevalent in American society.

We are currently on the verge of what looks to be a monumental change. The Black Lives Matter movement has gained unprecedented support, and individuals from all demographics are starting to form a unified front. As steps are taken to eradicate systemic racism, it is essential to look at current laws and policies that disproportionately affect the Black community. The way we deal with non-violent drug crimes and low-level possession charges is a perfect example.

If our country continues to fill its courts and prisons with drug charges, then systemic racism will never end. It is not that Black people use more drugs; they are just more harshly punished. It is time to make a change that focuses on empowering individuals as opposed to imprisoning them. This transformation can begin with sweeping changes with the way we handle low-level drug charges. Lets help people instead of punishing them for having substance-use disorder.

Cori Buck of Newport, Oregon, is a certified nursing assistant who worked more than four years at a drug and alcohol rehabilitation center. She is a regular contributor to the health website addicted.org. She wrote this exclusively for the News Tribune.

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National View: 'War on drugs' only perpetuated the problem it was trying to solve - Duluth News Tribune

Jos Garza is running for district attorney in Travis County, Texas. (Courtesy of Jos Garza campaign)

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On day one, we will end the prosecution of low-level drug offenses here in Travis County, announced district attorney candidate Jos Garza, at a February forum on criminal justice reform in Austin. We will end the prosecution of possession and sale offenses of a gram or less.Ad Policy

That may have sounded to some like a bold statement, but Garza argued it was the rational response to a broken system.

On Tuesday night, voters in the state capital of Texas and the surrounding county agreed. Garza, a former federal public defender, immigrant rights activist, and executive director of the Texas Workers Defense ProjectProyecto Defensa Laboral, swept to victory over Travis County District Attorney Margaret Moore in a closely watched Democratic primary runoff election. And the successful challenger signaled that he is ready to act. We know that 60-percent of all people arrested and charged with drug possession through traffic stops are people of color, he told reporters. So, it is time to end the war on drugs in this community to begin to unwind the racial disparities in our criminal justice system.

Garza won 68 percent of the vote to 32 percent for Moore, who, as The Austin Chronicle noted earlier this year, had been under fire on many fronts for her perceived insufficient commitment to true justice, particularly for women survivors of sexual assault. The Chronicle endorsed Garza as a candidate who would bring to the office a demonstrable commitment to equity. MORE FROM John Nichols

With the party nomination secured in an overwhelmingly Democratic county, Garza is positioned to further demonstrate that commitment as one of the most high-profile members of the emerging class of county prosecutors who are prepared to upend old ways of thinking about law enforcement and the achievement of justice. Hell join Chicagos Kim Foxx, Philadelphias Larry Krasner, and San Franciscos Chesa Boudin as part of a movement to transform how cities and countries across the country address public safety issues. The movement is growing! observed Boudin, as he celebrated the victory by Garza, who ran with strong support from unions, Austin Democratic Socialists of America, the Working Families Party, and Senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren.

The Texan summed up the thinking of the movement during the course of a campaign in which he told voters, Our system doesnt have to be broken. We have the power to fix this. And we have a right and a responsibility to demand that it be fixed.

What distinguished Garza is his determination to move quickly and decisively to take on the gravest injustices.Current Issue

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Take his response to questions about capital punishment. The Death Penalty is morally and ethically wrong, does not serve as a deterrent, has proven to be applied arbitrarily at best, and comes at tremendous financial costs, the candidates platform states. As District Attorney, I will not seek a death sentence. I will also review all post-conviction death penalty cases to ensure that there are no forensic, evidentiary, or legal issues that should cause the conviction to be called into question.

Or his response to questions about police violence. Prosecutors must play a key role in holding police accountable and ensuring that officers who commit misconduct are not allowed to continuously harm communities, asserts Garza, who began his list of commitments on the issue by promising, We will never take donations from police organizations. We deserve a DA unbought by those they are responsible for holding accountable.

Or his response to questions about prosecuting the powerfulincluding corporate CEOS. No one should be above the law, no matter how rich they are or just because of their job title. We will use our resources to investigate and prosecute the powerful actors in Travis County who have harmed the publiclandlords who exploit immigrants, police officers accused of misconduct, and corporate heads who take money from the poor will no longer have a free pass in Travis County, reads his platform. Instead, the Travis County District Attorney Office will actively investigate and prosecute powerful actors who have abused their positions.

Garzas vision of the DAs office as a platform for pursuing economic, social, and racial justice was especially profound when it came to stopping the damage done by a war on drugs that for too long has been facilitated by Democratic and Republican prosecutors.

In a set of commitments for how he would run the DAs office in a county where the population is nearing 1.3 million, Garza explained:

The revolving door of justice for people with substance abuse issues is a waste of time, money, and prosecution resources. The latest medical research on addiction suggests that treating drug use as a public health issue, as opposed to a criminal justice issue, is a more effective approach to reducing harm and promoting public safety. Nevertheless, our jails and prisons are filled with people who have done nothing more than suffer from addiction.

As a result, this office will seek to pursue policies that reduce the number of people in jails and prisons for drug-related offenses. We also have a responsibility to prevent deathssafe injection sites and harm reduction programs are key to keeping our most vulnerable alive.

Unless there is evidence that a person poses a danger to the community, I will not prosecute sale or possession of a gram or less of narcotics. For possession or sale of larger amounts of narcotics, my office will consider all appropriate diversion programs so that person may avoid a conviction if they are not a danger to the community.

For decades, politicians of both parties and their amen corners in the media fostered the fantasy that filling prisons would make communities safe. Elected prosecutors mounted reelection campaigns that highlighted their conviction rates and their willingness to pursue the harshest sentences.

Even as evidence of policing abuses, prosecutorial misconduct, systemic racism, and the absolute failure of mass incarceration mounted, too many prosecutors in too many places responded with incremental reforms that changed little.

Too many prosecutors refused to change course and recognize that the system is not working.

Garza knows there is something wrong with a system in which the majority of our resources are spent locking-up people struggling with substance abuse and our DAs office has not reduced the number of people we send to prison. And he knows there are smart alternatives. The research is clear: prisons do not reduce recidivism, says the candidate Travis County voters has just nominated. In fact, rehabilitation programs run outside of prisons consistently outperform those run in prison when it comes to keeping people out of jail.

Read the rest here:

Austin, Texas, Just Voted to End the Drug War - The Nation

Upstate drug trafficking investigation leads to the indictment of 39 people

50 pounds of methamphetamine, five pounds of heroin, and others drugs were seized, officials say.

Updated: 6:23 PM EDT Jul 22, 2020

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LATEST ON THIS MULTICOUNTY ROUNDUP. >> The Reporter: THESE SEIZED DRUGS AND WEAPONS PILED ON TABLES ARE THE RESULT OF OPERATION GROUNDHOG DAY. SPARTANBURG COUNTY SHERIFF CHUCK WRIGHT SAYS SEVERAL AGENCIES IN THE UPSTATE PLAYED A ROLE IN THE ALMOST TWO-YEARLONG INVESTIGATION. >> WE GOT 57.3 POUNDS OF METHAMPHETAMINE, 5.3 POUNDS OF HEROIN, SOME MARIJUANA AND FENTANYL, AND 92 GRAMS OF COCAINE WAS SEIZED. >> The Reporter: WRIGHT EXPLAINED HOW THE DRUGS AND WEAPONS WERE SEIZED 6789. >> WE WERE DOING TIPS AND WORKING PEOPLE WHO, WHEN WE CATCH THEM, SAY, HEY, I CAN FIND YOU SOME MORE DRUGS. SO IT WAS JUST BASICALLY WORKING BACKWARDS AND DOING JUST BASIC SIMPLE POLICE WORK. THE REPORTER: SOUTH CAROLINA ATTORNEY GENERAL ALAN WILSON SAYS THIS WAS AN INVESTIGATION OF AN ALLEGED HEROIN AND METHAMPHETAMINE TRAFFICKING ORGANIZATION IN THE UPSTATE. WILSON ADDED, QUOTE, ALL THE AGENCIES INVOLVED ARE COMMITTED TO FIGHTING HAND TRAFFICKING OF DRUGS SUCH AS METHAMPHETAMINE, HEROIN, AND FENTANYL TO THE CITIZENS OF OUR STATE. >> YOU KNOW, I KEEP TELLING YOU, PEOPLE ALWAYS SAYING, YOU'RE NEVER GOING TO WIN THE WAR ON DRUGS. MIGHT NOT, BUT THAT AIN'T GOT ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE FIGHT WE'RE GOING TO BRING TO IT. THAT AIN'T GOT A DOGGONE THING WITH THE FIGHT WE'RE GOING TO

Upstate drug trafficking investigation leads to the indictment of 39 people

50 pounds of methamphetamine, five pounds of heroin, and others drugs were seized, officials say.

Updated: 6:23 PM EDT Jul 22, 2020

A drug trafficking investigation in the Upstate has led to the indictments of 39 people.South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson says the investigation, called "Operation Ground Hog Day," targeted an alleged heroin and methamphetamine trafficking organization operating in the Upstate. Spartanburg County Sheriff Chuck Wright says more than 50 pounds of methamphetamine, five pounds of heroin, and others drugs were seized.Wright says the team was able to round up a lot of the drugs through tips and basic police work. He says several agencies in the Upstate played a role in the nearly two-year investigation."I keep telling you, people always saying 'you're never going to win the war on drugs,''' said Wright. "Yeah, I might not, but that ain't got anything to do with the fight we're going to bring to it. That ain't got a daggum thing we're going to take to it."Wilson says these indictments show that all agencies involved are committed to fighting the trafficking of drugs.

A drug trafficking investigation in the Upstate has led to the indictments of 39 people.

South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson says the investigation, called "Operation Ground Hog Day," targeted an alleged heroin and methamphetamine trafficking organization operating in the Upstate.

Spartanburg County Sheriff Chuck Wright says more than 50 pounds of methamphetamine, five pounds of heroin, and others drugs were seized.

Wright says the team was able to round up a lot of the drugs through tips and basic police work. He says several agencies in the Upstate played a role in the nearly two-year investigation.

"I keep telling you, people always saying 'you're never going to win the war on drugs,''' said Wright. "Yeah, I might not, but that ain't got anything to do with the fight we're going to bring to it. That ain't got a daggum thing we're going to take to it."

Wilson says these indictments show that all agencies involved are committed to fighting the trafficking of drugs.

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Upstate drug trafficking investigation leads to the indictment of 39 people - WYFF Greenville

Nuggets forward Jerami Grant answered every basketball and bubble question during a recent interview by discussing Breonna Taylor.

Several other NBA players have followed his lead.

Harris, asked about Russell Westbrooks social-justice shirts, via Paul Hudrick of NBC Sports Philadelphia:

Nothing against the T-shirts, but we want to make sure that [Kentucky attorney general] Daniel Cameron arrests the cops and officers involved with Breonna Taylors death, Harris said. Thats all Ive got to say.

Before another reporter could be called on, Harris repeated the message.

Thats going to be my answer for every question for Daniel Cameron to step up and do whats right. Thats the only message Ive got today.

Harris then politely thanked the media on the call and walked off.

McCollum, via Jamie Hudson of NBC Sports Northwest:

Weve been very proactive with our conversations and phone calls. We actually did a Zoom call with Breonna Taylors mother a few days ago to get more information on everything that is going on, everything that has happened. I want to go on the record saying that [Kentucky Attorney General] Daniel Cameron is in position to arrest the cops who are responsible for killing Breonna Taylor and still has not done that, so hes the one who is in the position to potentially do that. So we want to continue to uplift people like Breonna Taylor who are victims and havent received the proper justice that they are due.

I think basketball is secondary, McCollum said. Its our job, obviously and we have a responsibility to fulfill those obligations, but its also our job to fulfill and protect our neighborhoods, and protect the people who look like us, and come from places like us, and dont exactly have the same voices that we do. I think thats something that has been on all of our minds. Weve been very proactive about it.

Smart, via Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe:

Before we start, guys, my answer is going to be Justice for Breonna Taylor, Smart said. Thats going to be my answer for everything, so Im just letting you guys know that now. Justice for Breonna Taylor.

A reporter asked Smart if that would be his response to a question about the teams defense, and Smart said that it would, replying, Justice for Breonna Taylor.

Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston:

Melissa Rohlin of Sports Illustrated:

When Caruso was asked about being on the brink of playing in his first postseason, he responded by bringing up Taylor.

Im just going to respond with, We need justice for Breonna Taylor, Caruso said. Thats going to be my response to the rest of the questions if theyre basketball-related and not pertaining to me and my sisters wedding.

Just got information from the rest of the players who are trying to stay united with the message, Caruso said. This is one way we can control it from inside the bubble. It seems to be an important thing. Its been four months since it happened that she was murdered in her sleep and nobody has been held accountable.

Grants press conference prompted a major breakthrough. The Nuggets made a far stronger statement than practically every other large corporation:

A billion-dollar company posting Arrest the cops who killed Breonna Taylor is no small matter. NBA players uniting to bring attention should only advance the cause even further.

I salute these players for speaking up. They have a platform, and this is important.

I also appreciate that the common refrain has been Justice for Breonna Taylor rather than Arrest the cops who killed Breonna Taylor.

As I wrote when Grant raised the issue:

Taylor was killed in her own home by Louisville police in March. Police were executing a no-knock warrant based on the stated suspicion she was aiding her boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, in selling drugs. Its disputed whether police announced themselves before using a battering ram to enter the apartment. Walker said he and Taylor were asleep when the incident began. Walker, a licensed gun owner, called 911 and fired at what he says he believed to be intruders. The police returned fire, and Taylor was fatally shot.

None of the three officers involved in the shooting Brett Hankison, Jonathan Mattingly and Myles Cosgrove have been arrested. Only Hankison was fired.

What happened to Taylor was a travesty, and the injustices are vast.

Crackdowns on drugs have led to extreme state violence. No-knock warrants and even knock-and-announce warrants executed in the middle of the night put everyone involved at too much risk. Judges approve warrants with too little oversight.

The politicians who enact these anti-drug laws should be held accountable. The police who order these extreme tactics should be held accountable. The judges who wantonly allow it (and the police officers who take advantage with deceitful warrant requests) should be held accountable.

But the officers at Taylors apartment shouldnt necessarily face criminal charges just for carrying out their jobs as the system called for. Hankison allegedly shot recklessly, and if he did, he should face charges. If any of the three officers did something illegal, they should face charges. But the weight of a failed system shouldnt fall on the individual officers who follow the rules of that system. The officers were put in an impossible situation fired upon by someone who very reasonably mistook them for intruders. At that point, the police had some right to defend themselves. Just as Walker had some right to defend himself and Taylor in her own home.

Taylors death was a tragedy.

The people who created the system that led to her death should be held responsible. And the system should be changed.

The War on Drugs should be completely re-assessed. No-knock warrants should be eliminated. Warrants should be given more scrutiny before being granted.

Getting justice for Breonna Taylor goes much higher than arresting these three cops.

Link:

The time Charles Oakley dumped a bottle of liquor on a Raptors teammate - ProBasketballTalk

MTV's "Decoded" returns for a monumental new season focused on 'Decoding the Police' with host Franchesca Ramsey

The six-part miniseries is set to premiere today, Tuesday July 21 on the MTV Impact YouTube and MTV Decoded Facebook channels

Today, MTV News is launching a brand new season of the hit digital series, "Decoded," with six weekly episodes hosted by Franchesca Ramsey. Given the age of social justice reform and the rise of the #BlackLivesMatter movement, the entire season will be focused on "Decoding the Police."

Each episode will tackle a different dynamic of the American police system, from dispelling the notion of good cops Vs. bad cops, the truth (and lies) of the "War on Drugs," and what defunding the police might actually mean in a nation deeply reliant on its police system--one that negatively impacts persons of color at disproportionate rates.

"Despite today's current climate, it's been really inspiring and encouraging to see so many people sharing past episodes of 'Decoded' to start conversations about Black Lives Matter and police violence. By focusing our newest season entirely on policing, I'm really hoping we're able to help people better understand the movement to Defund the Police and make our communities safer for everyone," said Ramsey.

The new season premieres Tuesday, July 21st on the MTV Impact YouTube and MTV Decoded Facebook as well as MTV News social channels.

About Decoded:

"Decoded" is tackling the most important social issue of our time: Defunding The Police. In this six part mini-series, we'll look at the myths and realities that keep our system of policing in power and show what alternatives beyond the police could make our communities safe for everyone.

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Breaking News - MTV's "Decoded" Returns for a Monumental New Season Focused on "Decoding the Police" with Host Franchesca Ramsey -...

Some societies center on social control, others on social investment.

Social-control societies put substantial resources into police, prisons, surveillance, immigration enforcement, and the military. Their purpose is to utilize fear, punishment, and violence to divide people and keep the status quo in place perpetuating the systemic oppression of Black and brown people, and benefiting no one but wealthy elites.

Social-investment societies put more resources into healthcare, education, affordable housing, jobless benefits, and children. Their purpose is to free people from the risks and anxieties of daily life and give everyone a fair shot at making it.

Donald Trump epitomizes the former. He calls himself the law and order president. He even wants to sic the military on Americans protesting horrific police killings.

He has created an unaccountable army of federal agents who go into cities like Portland, Oregon without showing their identities and assault innocent Americans.

Trump is the culmination of forty years of increasing social control in the United States and decreasing social investment a trend which, given the deep-seated history of racism in the United States, falls disproportionately on Black people, indigeneous people, and people of color.

Spending on policing in the United States has almost tripled, from $42.3 billion in 1977 to $114.5 billion in 2017.

America now locks away 2.2 million people in prisons and jails. Thats a 500 percent increase from 40 years ago. The nation now has the largest incarcerated population in the world.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement has exploded. More people are now in ICE detention than ever in its history.

Total military spending in the U.S. has soared from $437 billion in 2003 to $935.8 billion this fiscal year.

The more societies spend on social controls, the less they have left for social investment. More police means fewer social services. American taxpayers spend $107.5 billion more on police than on public housing.

More prisons means fewer dollars for education. In fact, America is now spending more money on prisons than on public schools. Fifteen states now spend $27,000 more per person in prison than they do per student.

As spending on controls has increased, spending on public assistance has shrunk. Fewer people are receiving food stamps. Outlays for public health have decline

America cant even seem to find money to extend unemployment benefits during this pandemic.

Societies that skimp on social investment end up spending more on social controls that perpetuate violence and oppression. This trend is a deep-seated part of our history.

The United States began as a control society. SlaveryAmericas original sindepended on the harshest conceivable controls. Jim Crow and redlining continued that legacy.

But in the decades following World War II, the nation began inching toward social investment the Civil Rights Act, the Voting Rights Act, the Fair Housing Act, and substantial investments in health and education.

Then America swung backward to social control.

Since Richard Nixon declared a war on drugs, four times as many people have been arrested for possessing drugs as for selling them.

Of those arrested for possession, half have been charged with possessing cannabis for their own use. Nixons strategy had a devastating effect on Black people that is still felt today: a Black person is nearly 4 times more likely to be arrested for cannabis possession than a white person, even though they use it at similar rates.

Bill Clinton put 88,000 additional police on the streets and got Congress to mandate life sentences for people convicted of a felony after two or more prior convictions, including drug offenses.

This so-called three strikes youre out law was replicated by many states, and, yet again, disproportionately impacted Black Americans. In California, for instance, Black people were 12 times more likely than white people to be incarcerated under three-strikes laws, until the state reformed the law in 2012. Clinton also reformed welfare into a restrictive program that does little for families in poverty today.

Why did America swing back to social control?

Part of the answer has to do with widening inequality. As the middle class collapsed and the ranks of the poor grew, those in power viewed social controls as cheaper than social investment, which would require additional taxes and a massive redistribution of both wealth and power.

Meanwhile, politicians whose power depends on maintaining the status quo, used racism from Nixons law and order and Reagans welfare queens to Trumps blatantly racist rhetoric to deflect the anxieties of an increasingly overwhelmed white working class. Its the same old strategy. So long as racial animosity exists, the poor and working class wont join together to topple the system that keeps so many Americans in poverty, and Black Americans oppressed.

The last weeks of protests and demonstrations have exposed whats always been true: social controls are both deadly and unsustainable. They require more and more oppressive means of terrorizing communities and they drain resources that would ensure Black people not only survive, but thrive.

This moment calls on us to relinquish social control and ramp up our commitment to social investment.

FALL FUNDRAISER

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The real choice: Social control or social investment - NationofChange

International Deputy of Iran Drug Control Headquarters Nasser Aslani broke news on Wednesday that during last week the total amount of drug discoveries was 19,884.

Aslani also announced that out of thisamount, the anti-narcotics police have confiscated 1538 kg of hashish, 159 kg of heroin, 431 kg of glass, 433 kg of grass, 13 kg of morphine and 1676 kg of other substances.

Opium by 15,634 kg accounts for 79% of the discoveries Aslani added.

He noted during this period, 6,835 offenders arrested and handed to judicial authorities, 423 vehicles, as well as 18 weapons, were confiscated.

According to Aslani, seven provinces of the country including Sistan and Baluchestan, Kerman, South Khorasan, Yazd, Isfahan, and Bushehr account for 73% of drug discoveries.

Being a neighbor to the biggest producer of drugs in the world has caused the Islamic Republic of Iran to shoulder a heavy burden as one of the main routes for drug transport.

Iran is at the forefront of the fight against drug trafficking and thousands of Iranian forces have been so far martyred to protect the world from the danger of drugs. Despite high economic and human costs, the Islamic Republic has been actively fighting drug trafficking over the past decades.

Iran has spent more than $700 million on sealing its borders and preventing the transit of narcotics destined for European, Arab, and Central Asian countries. The war on drug trade originating from some regional countries has claimed the lives of nearly 4,000 Iranian police officers over the past four decades.

RHM/IRNA83865307

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Iranian police busts over 19 ton of illicit drug in a week - Mehr News Agency - English Version

Political Report

Fresh off of his win in a New York congressional district, Jamaal Bowman talks about defunding the NYPD and shrinking the criminal legal system.

Both parties have championed the punitive politics of recent decades. Jamaal Bowman now wants to help the Democratic Party move away from them and toward dismantling mass incarceration.

Bowman defeated 32-year U.S. Representative Eliot Engel in the June 23 Democratic primary, in a major coup for the New York left. The Associated Press only called the race for him today, after seeing some absentee ballot returns; Bowman leads 56 percent to 40 percent as of Friday morning. This congressional district covers parts of the Bronx and Westchester, just north of the district where Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez scored a similar upset two years ago.

The primary campaigns final stretch played out amid the nationwide protests against racism in law enforcement and against the ballooning size of the criminal legal system. Bowman faulted Engel for supporting the 1994 crime bill, which contributed to fueling incarceration, and, unlike Engel, he embraced many Black Lives Matter activists goal of defunding the police.

In the wake of the election, I asked Bowman about his views on how he intends to further the movement against mass incarceration and police brutality.

As a Black man in America, I know what its like to feel occupied in my own community, Bowman said. Policing is the gateway to the corrupt system of mass incarceration, which has left many people in communities of color, especially working class communities of color, feeling terrorized.

In the Q&A below, Bowman also makes the case for defunding the police and reallocating resources, for giving all incarcerated people an opportunity for release after 10 years, abolishing felony disenfranchisement, and decriminalizing sex work, among other measures that could transform criminal justice in the country.

But he also emphasized that achieving such transformations will require continued activism. There has been a sea change on this issue because of long-term social movement building, community organizing, and the past six years of uprisings by the Black Lives Matter movement that are increasingly being translated into candidates like myself being swept into office, he said. Weve got to keep protesting, marching, running primary challengers, and ushering in a new generation of leaders in every institution.

The Q&A has been condensed and lightly edited.

In the past, you have linked your views on policing and your experiences being pulled over and arrested by police officers. How have such experiences shaped your sense of how policing fuels racial inequality?

I lived through Bloombergs stop-and-frisk era. Police attacked me when I was an 11-year-old boy. Ive been arrested and accused of stealing my own car, pulled over and handcuffed for not properly signaling, and knocked around by police officers for rough housing with my friends when I was just a kid. As a Black man in America, I know what its like to feel occupied in my own community. I have my own lived experiences and I see the brutality happening all around me. Policing is the gateway to the corrupt system of mass incarceration, which has left many people in communities of color, especially working class communities of color, feeling terrorized.

Many activists are calling to shrink the police, including by defunding if not disbanding departments. Do you support those calls? Should there be parallel efforts to shrink the footprint of the criminal legal system, if not defund prosecutors offices and prison systems?

Before I founded CASA, I was the dean of students at a high school, where I watched students walking through metal detectors every day, being criminalized for simply existing. As an educator, I saw firsthand how poverty, created by bad policy, results in trauma that builds on top of discriminatory policies like stop-and-frisk policing. If we defund police and shift funding to things like healthcare, wellness, trauma centers, drug and alcohol treatment, peer support networks, and restorative justice programs, we wont have a need for such a large, militarized police force. We can have fewer cops, and replace them with Crisis Care units of violence interrupters, social workers, and mental health intervention.

We need to truly cut the NYPD budgetnot just shift that money to the education department to put more police officers in schools instead of guidance counselors. This requires a reimagining of public safety and a thorough, objective investigation into how NYPD conducts themselves. That investigation also includes standing up to police unions that protect members with histories of misconduct and abuse.

Defunding the police means reallocating resources toward public health and investing in alternatives with people who are adequately trained to do the jobs were asking armed police to do: helping the homeless, responding to domestic incidents, monitoring students in schools, responding to people with mental illness, and responding to minor complaints like, for example, someone handing over a counterfeit $20 bill. We need unarmed people from the community who are trained to de-escalate: social workers, counselors, etc. We should ensure that public defenders offices are being robustly funded as well.

There are frequent demands to end the war on drugs and not incarcerate people over drug offenses, but often the proposed solutions still rely on policies and programs run from within the criminal legal systemby prosecutors, by courtswith the threat of jail looming. So what role should law enforcement play when it comes to substance use and drug possession? What would it take to bolster other systems outside criminal justice to tackle substance use?

I lived through the crack era in New York City and saw firsthand how it accelerated mass incarceration. I watched friends and family members suffer, I saw people I loved locked up in cages. No one should be in jail because they suffer from addiction to drugs, and we should be wary of solutions to the war on drugs that expand the criminal legal system and further criminalize low-income people and communities of color. First, we must drop low-level drug offenses, legalize and regulate marijuana and ensure that communities most impacted by the racist war on drugs receive the most benefits from legalization, and clear all prior marijuana convictions. Then, we need to go one step further.

Drug law enforcement should be extremely limited. We should be focusing on reducing demand if were looking to reduce crime, which could include maintenance therapy or safe injection sites. While progressive action and rhetoric at the social level is helpful for reform, we also need to see a shift in how the law is applied at the state level among state prosecutors.

So much of the criminal legal system is driven by state laws and local prosecutors, and only a small share of incarcerated people are in the federal system. So whats the biggest step Congress can take to decrease incarceration?

The 1994 crime bill used federal dollars to incentivize states and localities to build more prisons, hire more police, and incarcerate people. We can use federal dollars to incentivize states and localities to decarcerate, close down prisons, and reallocate funds from law enforcement to public health. We must also prioritize ending mandatory minimum sentencing.

Theres been a bipartisan rush to toughen criminal legal rules in recent decades. This has changed in recent years, to be sure. But do you think the Democratic Party is changing enough on this set of issues, and how do you think you can contribute to pushing it further?

There has been a sea change on this issue because of long-term social movement building, community organizing, and the past six years of uprisings by the Black Lives Matter movement that are increasingly being translated into candidates like myself being swept into office. The party is changing dramatically from being tough on crime in the 1990s to increasingly becoming the party of dismantling mass incarceration through and through. But theres still a lot of work to do. Weve got to keep protesting, marching, running primary challengers, and ushering in a new generation of leaders in every institution. And if Joe Biden is elected, which I hope he is, we have to hold him accountable to a robust agenda that meets the needs of our communities.

One specific position you have taken during the campaign that goes further than what the House leadership has proposed is to abolish felony disenfranchisement, and to guarantee the right to vote to all voting-age citizens, including when theyre in prison. The federal legislation HB1 would restore peoples voting rights if they arent presently incarcerated. Why do you advocate for that extra step, and what would you say to your colleagues if you join the House to make that case?

I believe in true, universal suffrage. Evidence shows that disenfranchisement actually exacerbates outcomes for people who are incarcerated. Furthermore, there is absolutely no evidence that disenfranchisement is a deterrent to violent crime. If the ultimate goal is truly to reduce the likelihood of future offenses and reintegrate the formerly incarcerated back into society, then guaranteeing the right to vote for every citizenincarcerated or notis the obvious choice. Undermining voting rights is also a slippery slope that leads directly to discriminatory outcomes. We must combat voter suppression in all its forms.

The death penalty is declining but tens of thousands are certain to die in prison because of life without the possibility of parole sentences or their functional equivalents. And you yourself have called for a life sentence in the past. But U.S. Representative Ayanna Pressley has introduced federal legislation that would end life without parole sentences and make any prisoner eligible for parole after some lengthy period. Do you support doing away with life without parole sentences, or do you support other mechanisms to pull back on excessive sentences?

I support Ayanna Pressleys Peoples Justice Guarantee to put justice back in the hands of people directly impacted by generations of oppression and mass incarceration. When I wrote that op-ed, I was an angry and distraught middle school principal who watched a child be murdered in my community on camera. Ive gone through a lifelong process to better understand how we can address violence in our communities. We should provide incarcerated people with a meaningful opportunity for release after a decade, and no one should be forced to die in jail, especially elderly people.

You have stated that you support decriminalizing sex work; theres been a bill filed to this effect in New York State but it has not move forward yet. What makes you support this reform, and what would you tell New York politicians who may be hesitating about it?

Combating human trafficking in the sex trade is a serious issue, but SESTA/FOSTA puts sex workers, people who are disproportionately LGBTQ and people of color, at risk and make it more difficult to access health and social services. People whose work involves consensual sex should not be put in harms way. The broad consequences of criminalizing sex work certainly outweigh public perception or politics, which is why I support Representative Ro Khanna and Representative Barbara Lees legislation to conduct a national study on the impacts on sex workers from SESTA/FOSTA, to shine a light on those consequences.

The story has been updated to reflect the Associated Presss decision to call the election for Jamaal Bowman.

Original post:

Jamaal Bowman Wants Democrats to Be the Party of Dismantling Mass Incarceration - The Appeal